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Ohio State stuns No. 8 Purdue, secures massive win for NCAA Tournament hopes
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Ohio State basketball just scored the biggest win of its season, and perhaps the most key win of the Jake Diebler era so far. The Buckeyes, thanks to a 21-point outing from John Mobley Jr., defeated No. 8 Purdue 82-74 to improve to 18-11 on the season and 10-8 in Big Ten play.
This is Ohio State’s second straight win over Purdue dating back to last season. For Purdue, it’s the Boilermakers’ 3rd loss in its last 4 outings. The Buckeyes now have a 76% chance to reach the Big Dance according to Kalshi.
Simply put, the Buckeyes absolutely had to have this one. And they certainly played like it. We already mentioned Mobley’s 21 points, but Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton had a game to remember, too. The senior guard scored 20 points on an efficient 6/9 shooting from the field.
Don’t forget Devin Royal’s contribution, too. The junior forward was a monster on the boards, scoring 12 points with 9 rebounds — 6 offensive — to lead the Buckeyes. Ohio State outrebounded Purdue 36-29 on the afternoon.
Ohio State’s resume needed a top-tier win in a season that has seemed to rotate between wins and losses since about December. The Buckeyes hadn’t won or lost 3 straight games dating back to November and had just one truly strong win to their name, a few weeks ago when Ohio State knocked off Wisconsin in Columbus.
Ohio State is back in action on Wednesday, where they’ll face Penn State. Then, on Saturday, keep an eye out for Ohio State vs. Indiana – a game that could very well decide a spot in the NCAA Tournament when it’s all said and done.
Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Tradition.